In the Forest of Galad
by StarnightX
Summary: It is the summer after Draco Malfoy's 6th year at Hogwarts. The pride he once felt for the dark mark embedded into his skin has long gone, and he is constantly stricken by fear within his own home. However, he and his mother have been granted leave for 2 weeks at their summer villa. What awaits Draco in the Forest of Galad? DracoxOC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I was gonna write a Bleach FF and even posted it, but changed my mind and decided to start another HP fic. I thought it'd be a good idea, since I'm already writing another fic for this fandom anyways.**

**This is another crazy idea I've had for a VERY long time, almost as long as the Sirius fic I am working on. I wonder if Imma be able to pull this off? XD**

**I'd also like to mention that I don't know much about the geography of the UK or of Wales****...so yeah...**

**Anyways, please read, review, and enjoy. :)**

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It didn't feel like summer vacation. Ever since his failed attempt to assassinate Dumbledore during his sixth year, Draco Malfoy felt that nothing could put him in a good mood. Of course, how could anything put him in a good mood? Following his return home for summer holidays, Malfoy Manor served as the main headquarters for Voldemort and his followers. Every day since had been beyond miserable and there were times when he wished he never became a death eater. However, on a somewhat lighter note, he and his mother were allowed to spend two weeks in their summer villa in Wales. He was thankful for the change in scenery: green pastures to the south, mountains in the far east, forests to the north and finally the sea to the west.

He chose to fly over the villa towards the north. His hands griped the top of his broomstick as he decided to fly faster and faster. The wind whipping through his white blond hair made him feel the most free he had felt in a long time. It was exhilarating, even though he knew this feeling wouldn't, and couldn't, last forever.

The small forest in the distance slowly grew larger as he flew closer. He was a bit surprised of how many trees there were and wondered if there were any magical creatures dwelling within them. However, before another thought could cross his mind, he felt himself plummeting to the ground.

**Chapter One: Hatred**

Amalis lowered her bow when she realized she had struck her target. The flying beast flew no more and has now fallen. She grinned and placed her bow on her back, before running off towards it to claim her prize. Her long pale golden hair danced wildly as she picked up speed. The smell of the creature's blood made her glow even more with triumph. The thing she saw flying in the sky was big and she couldn't wait to show it to her older brother Feralan.

She slowed as she approached the creature and froze when she heard a moan. It was still alive. She reached to her side and drew her short dagger. Slowly she approached with great caution. As she drew closer to it, her jaw dropped in horror. It was a human, a male human. Although its appearance was strange, Amalis knew that it was not an elf. It had pale blond hair, pointed features on a rather handsome face, pale skin; all were common characteristics of her people, but it stank like a human and lacked the long pointed ears.

The female elf stiffened as it began to move. "Aghhhh," a low groan escaped from between its lips, while its eyes fluttered open to reveal their stony gray color.

Draco literally had no idea what hit him and had blacked out for a moment before slamming into the hard ground. For a moment he wasn't even sure if he was still alive, but there was a terrible pain in the upper shoulder area, not to mention his entire back felt like hell. Since he felt pain, he knew he must have been alive. He did his best to open his eyes and, when he did, thin lines of tears streamed out from the corners. He cursed silently to himself, when realizing that he was not alone. His eyes were peering into eyes a deep blue. "P-please help me…" He tried to reach up towards this person, but they smacked his hand away and pressed something sharp against his throat.

"I would never help filth like you." The voice, Draco noticed, was female and full of venom. Could it be that she was someone he knew? Perhaps they met before? Draco pushed the idea away. What would someone from school be doing far out here for? He doubted anyone worth remembering also had a summer villa around here.

Amalis couldn't believe what the human was asking. What an ignorant race to walk this planet. Did it not realize that she was not a lowly human like it was? She lifted it up, by the collar of its shirt, lifting the upper half of its body. She firmly kept her dagger against its neck as she bent in to smell him. He smelled. She had never eaten a human before and so she was unsure if anyone else in her village would eat it, but it was worth a try. After all, meat was meat.

The dagger pressed further into his skin and Draco couldn't believe his luck. Some crazy psycho lady was going to kill him for no reason. He could feel his own blood, slowly rolling down his neck. If this person was going to kill him, couldn't they do so more quickly? He then yelled out in pain as he was forcibly pushed back to the ground. Draco gazed up with half lidded eyes. The girl was now standing, looking at something behind them. Draco didn't understand…

Before Amalis could move her dagger in to take away the human's life, a strong wind blew from behind her. Her eyes grew wide as she immediately dropped the human and spun around to look back at the forest. The wind blew fiercely through the trees, causing leaves, and even some branches, to come loose and be carried away. "The Forest…" She muttered then glanced down at the injured human. "…I don't understand."

She knelt down beside it and brushed some of its hair out of its eyes. It was blinking slowly and breathing heavily. It could die easily out here from the arrow she shot through its shoulder if she left it alone. She closed her eyes, knowing she may regret what she was going to do, but proceeded to do it anyway. "Can you hear me?"

The human glared up at her. "Yes."

"I'm going to remove my arrow from your body. So please, bear with me." Draco's eyes grew wide. The arrow in his chest…was hers? What the bloody hell was this girl doing with a bow and arrow? Was she a muggle? He groaned again when she placed a hand on his shoulder and gripped her hand around the arrow. "On three then, alright?" She warned him. "One, two…" The word "three" never came; she quickly pulled out the arrow with a might tug, as Draco cried out. The girl worked quickly to take off his shirt and use it to wrap his wound. "There…that should be sufficient for now. Can you walk?"

He glared up at her. What was she thinking? Of course he couldn't. "Are you crazy?" He asked.

Amalis' eye twitched, before she drew the human close so that their noses were barely touching. "Listen you ungrateful human. You would be dead now if I hadn't shown you mercy. I struck you in your shoulder, so you should be able to walk. Do not act so weak."

"Well, it's not like it's going to be a walk in the park! I don't even think I'll be able to stand upright!"

She frowned. "I'll help you, so stop whining. We have to move quickly before someone finds us…"

"Who is going to be wondering around out here?"

"Will you just hurry up and try to stand? I'll support you, so hurry up!" Her patience was wearing thin.

Draco's glare did not ease, but he knew it would be best to accept the girl's help. After all, she did seem to offer it now, as oppose to before when she held a dagger to his throat. However, who was to say she wouldn't try killing him again? He put an arm around her shoulder and realized she wasn't wearing much clothes. Her top was a simple white band and her bottom was a yellow and white skirt, which had slits up her thighs and many folds. "What are you staring at Human?" She growled. He averted his eyes, a bit puzzled. Draco didn't understand why she was calling him 'human'.

The two reached the edge of the forest, before they stopped. "Well, what's wrong?" He demanded.

Amalis looked at the human and said with a very straight face. "You stink."

Draco's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. The nerve of this woman! "Excuse me?"

"As soon as we enter the forest, the possibility of someone smelling you will be high." She led him to a tree to lean on. Amalis then stepped back and raised her hands in front of her. "Okay, this may hurt a bit."

Draco's eyes grew wide. "Wait a minute! What the hell are you going to…"

It was too late. Amalis' eyes were now closed and the head circlet she wore began to glow. "_Taure faer anna amin aeleasia. Codi edan holma."_ The glow of her circlet disappeared and a shock was sent through Draco's body. He grimaced. How much pain was she going to put him through? She walked up to him and smelled him again. "It's not completely gone, but they shouldn't be able to smell you from afar. I'm not the best at spells like that…"

Draco did his best to push her away. "Who are you talking about? And what are you?"

"Humans are rather daft aren't they?"

"Will you just answer the question?"

"I'm an Elf of Light. I would think it'd be obvious, but I guess humans aren't as knowledgeable as they think they are."

"You look nothing like an elf!" Draco exclaimed, only to regret the words coming out of his mouth. He had just noticed the large pointed ears coming out of the sides of her head.

"And how would you know that, Human? I doubt you've ever seen one before, since you didn't recognize me for what I am." She moved over to support him again, despite his efforts to get away from her. "Now hurry, before someone notices."

Draco didn't know what to think anymore. An 'Elf of Light'? He didn't know too much about elves; the only ones he knew about were house elves, which were nowhere near as tall as this one was. Also, house elves were all extremely obedient. This one obviously broke that mold…and what if the other ones were just like she was. A sudden nervousness grew within him when he realized that she was probably going to be taking him to the rest of her kind. Draco began to struggle even more. "What are you doing?" She asked, trying to keep a good hold on him.

"If you think I'm going to let you take me to other freaks like you…"

Amalis glared at him. "Why on Earth would I take you back to my home? No, I'm taking you to a tree."

"A…tree?"

"Yes, you shall spend the night there."

Draco swore he heard her incorrectly. "So I'm going to be spending the night…in a tree?"

"I realize it may not be the same amount of comfort you're used to, but it's better than sleeping out in the open. Plus, the scent of the tree will hide your stench."

His eye twitched. "I'm pretty sure I smell better than a tree."

"That's easily debatable."

"At least I smell better than you! You smell like sweat and dirt!" Draco accused.

Now it was Amalis' turn to blush. "T-That's because I've been hunting all day. You were supposed to be my last kill. Too bad you turned out to be alive, and a filthy human as well."

Draco retorted. "You're not even human!"

"Why would I want to be!"

"And if I'm so 'filthy', why are you helping me?" He finally asked.

Amalis stopped walking and looked up at him with narrow eyes. "The only reason why I help you is because the Forest was furious I shot you down."

Draco now had a quizzical expression on his face. "The Forest…"

"Yes, the Forest cried out in anger. So, if I help you now, maybe the Forest will forgive me…"

"You're crazy…"

"Well excuse me, but humans have some crazy ideas too! Honestly, flying around on a flying stick…if humans were meant to fly, they would have wings." She mumbled and led him to a tree. "Can you stand? I need to open the tree." Draco didn't know what she meant by "opening the tree", but did his best to support himself.

Amalis held her hands out in front of her again. "_Taure faer anna amin aeleasia. Alda Edrol."_ The trunk of the tree slowly began to open, so that it was big enough for Draco to go inside.

He peered inside. "I'm not going in there…it's filthy."

"And so it suits you well. I shall return to you before the sun has fallen. So please don't go anywhere." She then ran off, probably back to her village.

Draco sighed and slumped against the inside wall of the tree. Wait a minute, what was he doing in a tree? He could easily apparate himself back to the villa. He shoved his hand in his pocket to pull out his trusty wand only to find it wasn't there. His stomach felt like it dropped for a thousand miles.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Been relaxing most of summer, so I haven't been writing much (obviously) but here's another chapter!**

**I just want to say that I do not speak any sort of Elf, Sindarin or Quenya. So I'm sorry before hand if you happened to speak Sindarin or Quenya and noticed that nothing I write in Elf is really making perfect sense.**

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"I'm going to regret asking this…but what on Earth are you doing?"

"Feralan!" Amalis jumped, when she realized that her elder brother was in the room with her. "I'm not really doing anything."

"You've always been a bad liar." Feralan Aleanrae was the first born of the two children in the Aleanrae family. The Aleanrae family was the Galad's, in other words Light Elf Clan's, royal family, making Feralan the Crown Prince and next leader of Galad. For the most part, Feralan and Amalis looked very much alike; his skin had a golden tint to it much like Amalis' and their hair and eye color were the same. The only difference was that he was taller than Amalis by at least a foot. "What are you doing with those medical supplies?" He asked. "And I doubt you were going to save that basket of bread for later."

"I found an injured doe in the forest."

Feralan frowned. "Why didn't you just kill it? We could have used it for food…"

"Don't you remember what the Elders told us? We mustn't take advantage of an innocent, helpless creature like that…" Amalis frowned.

"Tsk," Feralan scoffed. "Unless the Forest tells me otherwise, then I could care less what the Elders say. I think they make too many unnecessary rules."

"We live as one with the Forest. We can't overrun the creatures that live here simply because we're superior beings. If we did, then nothing would be left…we'd be no better than humans." Amalis recited a well-known idea, which just about every elf in Galad learned at a very young age.

"Don't even **think** of comparing us to humans." He picked up one of the pieces of bread and began to munch on it. "Weren't you going out for one more kill today? What happened? Did you prey get away? That's surprising; usually you're able to take down anything you want with that bow and arrow of yours."

Amalis flushed with anger. "I didn't lose sight of my prey!" She couldn't believe that her brother suggested that she had failed. "I just found the doe and decided to help it." She took the bitten bread from her brother's hand and placed it back in the basket. "And the Forest spoke to me, so it can't be helped."

"Honestly…I think you're too nice for your own good." Feralan ruffled up her hair. "Even if the Forest didn't speak, you probably would have wanted to help the doe anyways. It's a bit odd if you think about it. Our best archer coming to the aid of the very thing she'll probably kill later."

"Stop making fun of me." She pouted. "I'll be off then. I should be back before the moon is a quarter ways up in the sky."

"How far is the doe?"

"Ummm…close to the open plains."

Feralan pulled her back by her hair. "You're not going."

"Feralan!"

"You're not going. The plains are our territory, but it's dangerous at night. The Durmor may mind our borders, but the plains are close to the Great Mountain. No doubt some Durmor will be wondering nearby."

"Hmph, I'm Galand's best archer. I'm sure I can take care of myself Brother." She tugged at her hair a bit so that he would let go and quickly left. She prayed to the Forest that Feralan would believe her. If he sent someone to follow her, or worse if he decided to follow her himself, then she would be in a huge amount of trouble.

**Chapter Two: Fury**

Draco couldn't believe his bad luck. He was stuck…in some far off forest…in a tree…without his wand. Was it possible his wand had fallen out as he plummeted to the ground earlier? Or worse…did it snap in half as he made contact with the hard ground? Draco feared the worse and he was starting to wonder how long it would take for that elf-girl to get back. The inside of the tree wasn't exactly comfortable.

"_Taure fae anna amin aeleasia. Alda Edrol."_

Draco recognized that voice and the strange language it spoke. The bark of the tree slowly creaked open to reveal the elven girl. He struggled to get up. "Ugh…"

"Stop moving, you'll only hurt yourself." She knelt down in front of him and pushed him back down. She then unwrapped the shirt covering his wound and began to clean it up a bit with a rag she brought.

"Who said you could touch me!?" Draco shouted, repulsed.

"Stop complaining…usually people are thankful when they receive help."

"I wouldn't be in this situation if you hadn't shot me down." Draco pointed out.

"You should have known better than to fly into our territory, human." She poured an unidentifiable liquid onto the rag and began to dab his wounds again.

"Ah! That stings! Can't you just use your magic to heal me?"

Draco couldn't tell for sure or not, but he thought he saw a light blush rise on her cheeks. "Unlike other females of my kind, I'm not very good at casting spells of that kind. I'm an archer, not a mage."

He sighed. "Well, take me back to where I fell. I have something that I can use to heal myself, then I can get out of here."

Amalis was now putting her arms around him so that she could wrap the bandages around his chest. "I can't take you back to the plains."

"Why not!?"

"Night has already come and the Durmor may be near. It's best and safest for you to stay in the forest." She handed him back his shirt. "You can put it on if you'd like."

"It's bloody," Draco stated plainly.

"I know, but I can't clean it for you. Another elf might find me washing it." She also handed him the basket of bread. "I also brought you something to eat. That flask there is filled with water."

Draco growled. "I'm tired of playing this stupid game. I demand that you take me back to where I fell. I lost something important there." His voice had the air of a true Malfoy.

"I told you I cannot. Do you know who the Durmor are?" She asked him, and he shook his head. "The Durmor are the Elves of Darkness. They live in the Great Mountain, within its deep caverns. Although the plains are my people's territory, the Durmor have a tendency to be near this area when the sun has fallen."

"If they're elves like you, then there shouldn't be a problem."

Amalis narrowed her eyes. "Your unintelligence is unbearable. Just as humans fight amongst each other, elves fight amongst each other as well; however, we had not had a war with the Durmor for at least five centuries. If one were to catch me with a **human**…"

"Alright, alright, I get it. The Durmor are bad. You'll take me in the morning."

"Do not order me around." She warned him. "I will take you, but you are not allowed to have the lost item you seek."

"Wait…what?" Amalis searched her pouch and pulled out a familiar wooden stick. Draco's nose flared. "That's mine!" He reached for it, but she kept it out of his grasp.

"So you are a wizard…you are the worst kind of human."

"You had it all this time!? Give it back!" He demanded.

"So you can use it against me? I don't think so." She put the wand back in her pouch. "I have no idea why the Forest told me to spare your life. Your kind has caused much pain for me and my people, but I will do as the Forest asks and nurse you back to health. Then you may return to wherever it is you came from."

"You can't be serious this…this is…"

"If you don't comply, then I'll snap this twig in half." Amalis held out the wand with her two hands, threatening to break it.

"Don't do that!"

"Then remain silent." She took in a deep breath in attempt to be calm. "Hopefully, you now have a clearer sense of the situation." She tucked the wand away again. "Do you want to go outside and stretch out a bit then? You'll have to stay in this tree for a while before you heal completely."

"If you're taking me outside, take me outside!" He demanded.

Amalis sighed. She wasn't even sure why she was bothering with this rotten human. "Well, come on then." She held out her hand. He swiftly knocked it aside. He then tried standing on his own. Of course, he struggled and fell on Amalis. She cracked a smile.

Draco glared up at her. "Don't laugh!"

"I'm not laughing…" She managed to say, her eyes shifting away from him. "Hurry up, put your arm around my shoulder."

Grumbling, Draco complied and she led him outside the tree. They only took about two steps, before Draco shoved her away and made a run for it. "Wait! Wait!" She shouted, but Draco ignored her. This was madness and he wasn't going to put up with that strange, stuck-up elf girl.

Amalis felt like kicking herself in the gut. She should have known that the boy would try something like this. If he kept running like this, his wound would no doubt reopen. She raced to catch up to him, which was no problem at all. However the closer his back drew to her, the more she could sense something amiss.

Meanwhile, Draco could feel himself slowing down and a warm liquid slowly rolling down his chest. His ears strained to hear her, but when he couldn't hear her behind him he stopped. Panting heavily, he checked behind him. She was nowhere in sight and that fact alone made his hair stand on end.

_Snap._

Draco whirled his head around, but saw nothing behind him. Was it his imagination? From behind him came a mix of a caw and a roar. Jumping where he stood, he turned to see a creature that looked similar to that of a hippogriff. From what he could see in the dark, it had fur…more fur than a hippogriff, but it had the head similar to that of a hippogriff, the head of an eagle.

He stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. The creature moved forward, rearing on its hind legs before moving forward to attack. Draco rolled out of the way; the creature's bird-like talons missed him by a few inches.

The elf girl was the farthest thing away from his mind right now. He was going to die. He had no wand, no way to defend himself. It was strange. About a few or more hours ago he thought his biggest thing to fear was Voldemort himself.

_Thunk._

The creature let out another cry and began to back away from Draco. Draco was confused and forced himself to sit up and see what had caused the creature to move back. An arrow was buried into the ground.

Draco jolted with surprise when the elven girl jumped down in front of him. She had her arrow drawn out and pointed at the creature. "Get back! Go! _Auta_!" She was yelling at the creature. "_Auta! _Please…_Iqista Auta!_"

It roared again and made way to attack. She dodged and drew back her arrow one more time. "_Taure fae anna amin aeleasia. Glor Pilin."_ Her arrow was surrounded by a bright light and then she fired the arrow into the beast's fore arm. It cried out in agony and began to withdraw. The elf girl threw her arrow aside and held her hands in the air.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked wildly.

"Silence." She snapped and slowly walked up towards the beast. "I'm sorry." She said softly to the creature. The beast retreated a bit back. "I'm sorry. _Dihen Nin_. _Dihen._"

The beast settled down; its injured leg was left un-tucked. Slowly, Amalis began to approach until she was finally close enough to touch the creature. Carefully, she placed her hand on the creature's beak. "Good…" She spoke softly again. "Good…" She petted it slowly. With her free hand, she dug into her bag again to pull out the medicine and bandages she had used on Draco earlier that night.

Draco was at a lost. He was still breathing heavily and wasn't sure what to do. She had shot the beast, so why was she taking care of the dangerous beast? The thousand questions whirling in his mind came to a stop when she began to sing in her strange elvish language. It calmed the beast and Draco as well.

She stood up when she was finished and spoke to the creature again. "Go now. You're alright." The thing squawked. "Go on." It cawed again before moving off into another part of the forest.

When she turned around, Draco wanted to sink into the ground beneath him. He had no idea what was going on through her head. Step by step she came closer to him before bending down before him. Of course it was hard for Draco to see, but he could have sworn that she had tears on her cheeks. "A-are you crying?" He dared to ask.

"Did you see what you made me do!?"

"What? Do you feel sorry for that thing? That thing attacked me!"

"If you hadn't run away, I wouldn't have had to attack it! That was a griffin, a majestic creature of luck!"

Draco scoffed. "That's still nothing to…"

"You don't understand you ignorant, impudent human!" She grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him up so they were directly face to face. "I don't know why the Forest tells me to spare your life. I have watched you for less than one night and yet you've already caused me so much trouble."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Been a long while since the last update, but with school going on there hasn't been much time to write anything. Sorry 'bout that. **

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The following day Amalis skipped breakfast and lunch. In fact, she didn't even leave her room the entire day. The servants came knocking, as did her brother's advisor, but she refused to open the door for anyone. It was not until early in the evening when Amalis admitted defeat to hunger and went down to the dining room. To her surprise, Feralan sat there already, along with a guest, Captain Theron Kennrae. The Captain has been a longtime friend of her and her brother. He was only ten years older than Feralan and stood taller than most elves, including Feralan. His eyes were dark, almost coal black, and his shoulder length hair was a dark brown; both features were uncommon among elves of Galad. They fueled the rumors that the dear Captain was of only half-blood, mixed with Durmor. However, such rumors did not hinder Theron's rise in the ranks of Galad's military. Above all, he was a hard worker and a good person.

**Chapter Three: Fear**

"Captain Theron, it's good to see you!" Amalis greeted him. Although she had been feeling terrible all day, she couldn't help but smile. "You are back from the Kingdom?"

"Yes, it's glad to be back, my princess." He greeted in return, standing from his seat to bow properly.

"And I am glad that you're back, but sit back down Theron." She laughed. "We are in home country. No need to be so polite." Amalis took her seat on Feralan's right.

"You should take after Theron, Amalis," her brother scolded. "Honestly, what on Earth happened that would make you lock yourself up in your room all day?"

She frowned. "I just have a lot on my mind. That's all. I'm thinking of visiting the Elders tonight."

"What could be worrying you so much that you would have to seek the Elders' counsel? We've had nothing to worry about around here for a good twenty years or so…unless you've heard already?" Her brother asked tentatively.

Amalis, who began cutting herself a piece of venison, paled slightly. She didn't like the tone in her brother's voice. "Heard about what?"

"Well, Theron was just telling me about it, news from our Mother and Father…" Feralan looked pointedly at the captain, who suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable.

Theron cleared his throat. "Your Highness, you know you will be of…marrying age soon come the end of summer…"

"Yes, but I have **years **before my parents will choose a suitor for me." She cut him off.

"That is true; however, your parents have already begun looking…"

"I really don't see what the problem is, so will you stop dilly-dallying and tell me why you and my brother look so nervous."

Theron shot Feralan a pleading look. The prince decided to take over the conversation. "Our parents, Corlon and Rumaira, are considering that you marry the second Prince of Durmor, Kalyth Norrean."

Amalis' lower jaw dropped slightly. "But…but…why!? In the past no royal from our family has ever married a Durmor, perhaps a noble or a council member or a high ranking officer in the military…but a Durmor!?"

"Calm down Amalis!" Feralan pleaded. "Mother and Father are just **considering **the Durmor Prince, along with several others. They won't make a final decision until **years **from now, at least not until after I have married."

"But…really? A Prince of Durmor?" Amalis stammered.

"If you could forgive me for saying," Theron interrupted. "But there has been talk of the unification of the Kingdoms Durmor and Galad for the past hundreds of years, since the end of the last great war, in hopes to keep a solid era of peace. If you look at this from that perspective, then it'd be a great honor to marry Prince Kalyth of Durmor."

"I understand what you're saying, but still…you can't say you're not surprised by this news." Amalis muttered, calming down enough to finally begin eating.

Both Theron and Feralan were silent, before her brother spoke again. "Actually, it's not too surprising. You're both members of royalty and he is just 5 years older than you, but enough talk about all this marriage stuff." He stood from his seat. "Come Theron, we have the meeting to attend to."

"Oh…is the assembly tonight?" Amalis asked.

"Yes, it's already been a bit over a month since the last one. I heard that Prince Kalyth shall be attending for the first as well." Said Feralan.

About once a month the Durmor of the Great Mountain and the Galad of the Forest held a meeting to discuss boundaries and patrol reports. Though tedious, the meetings were deemed necessary to keep conflict between the Galad and the Durmor to a minimum and to relay human activity in the surrounding area. Amalis silently thanked the Forest for this golden opportunity.

Once finishing dinner, and after both Feralan and Theron left towards the meeting at the Divide, Amalis moved swiftly in the cover of darkness towards where she left the human boy.

"_Taure fae anna amin aeleasia. Alda Edrol." _

Draco became alert at the sound of these foreign words. "'bout bloody time!"

"Unless you want me to cut out your tongue, be quiet. You'll wake the entire Forest." Amalis murmured, withdrawing some bread and water. "Hurry and eat. Tonight we go to the Elders."

"The Elders?" Draco spoke with a mouthful of bread. "And what are a couple of old people going to do?"

Amalis glared. "They're going to help you and me. They are wiser than the owls and as wise as the trees. They can heal you. They can help you." She brought out a new roll of bandages. "Come, let me change the bandages before we see them."

Draco complied without complaint. Amalis' long fingers gently removed the old bandages and quickly rolled on the new set. "Ouch! Watch it!"

"We don't have much time. My brother and a few of my people have gone to a meeting with the Durmor. This is the perfect time to take you to the Elders." Finishing up, she tossed a hooded cloak at him. "Wear this. Keep the hood up. It is my brother's and should conceal you well if we bump into someone."

The thought of bumping into another elf, Galad or Durmor, did not suit Draco well. "And what are you going to tell them if we **do **bump into someone?"

"That you are a newcomer from the Kingdom. As long as we hide your ears, then it should be believable."

Draco wasn't able to disguise the look of disbelief. "I look nothing like an elf!"

"But you resemble one and this is to our advantage." She pointed out. "Now, hurry up!"

Amalis put one of Draco's arms around her shoulders to help him out. "So…what exactly will these 'elders' do to me?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. They could kill you for all we know, but once I tell them of what the Forest told me, then surely they will help you."

"Kill me!?" Draco croaked, firmly planting his feet into the ground. "Like hell I'll be going along with you now!"

"You were the one who asked, and so I gave you an answer. Besides, who else will you turn to? Surely not the wild game running about or a Durmor lurking in the shadows! As it is right now, I can't keep helping you like this. Your wound will take too long to heal. The Elders are the only way. You must trust me…"

"Trust you!? Trust you!?" Draco laughed, nearing his patience end.

Amalis frowned. "I've been helping you this entire time. I've told no one of your existence. The reason you survived this long is because of me."

"If you didn't shoot me down, we wouldn't be in this situation would we?"

"Don't start on that again. What's done is done, and I am helping you now. If you want to get better, if you want to return home, then you will come with me." She ordered, pulling on him to keep walking.

He complied, grudgingly if anything.

"Good, stay in front of me." She ordered, as he shot her an apprehensive look, eyes darting towards her bow and arrows. "We'll be walking along the open plains, so if anything were to happen I can have an eye on you." She explained. "The Elders live near the Great Mountain, so we'll have to be cautious."

"Don't the Durmor lived in that mountain!?"

"They do." She said, not the slightest bit alarmed, at least not on the outside. The silence that fell between the two was a common indicator of fear that dwelled within them.

Though it was night, the Forest still showed signs of life. An owl could be heard hooting off towards the west and the distant sound of croaking toads could be heard to the northwest. The tunes of crickets could be heard all over, while through the trees the Forest whispered softly. It was the only thing bringing Amalis comfort and courage, but in front of her, Draco was jumping at every rustle and every owl hoot.

"Be calm, human. We are not alone." She said quietly.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked, suddenly very alarm.

"The Forest is with us. He will protect us. All the noises of the Forest, of the night animals that live here, they cover some of the noise we make."

"Right." Draco said, mentally trying to reassure himself with her woods. "Less chance of being found. Less chance of being found."

"_Alt!_" A shout broke the serenity, throwing Draco into panic mode. He was about to sprint off, but Amalis' hand caught his wrist before he could. "Be calm," She whispered. "You run and you cast suspicion on yourself. Don't make eye contact with whoever comes. Look only at the ground." She released him and drew out her bow. "_Ya im eller? _Who is there?"

From the shadows the strangers revealed themselves, two elves from Durmor. One had the skin as dark as the night sky itself and her hair the color of starlight. The other was fairer; his skin looked as though to be a part of the moon itself. His hair long and dark pulled into a small ponytail.

"I told you that I heard something Nyrah." The male spoke to his companion. "If you ever wish to become a captain, then I suggest you keep a better ear out for things."

"My apologies, your highness."

Amalis' eyes flashed to the male Durmor. "Speak your name!" She called out.

"I am Kalyth Norrean, second Prince of Durmor." He withdrew his sword. "If you are as wise as you Galad claim to be, then you will lower your bow."

Amalis could sense Draco shifting nervously beside her. "My name is Amalis Aleanrae, Princess of Galad. If **you **were wise as you Durmor claim to be, then you will lower your sword."

"A princess knows better than to defy a prince."

"Of their own country," Amalis specified. "You are not my prince."

She could see him smirk beneath the moon's light. "Not yet, at least." He said, sheathing his sword. "Stand down Nyrah. A fight in bordering lands would not do us well."

"What is your business here?" Amalis demanded to know. "There is to be a meeting tonight at the Divide and I know you were to attend."

"I had another matter to attend to, and was just on my way, when I heard the two of you walking in the area. That one, there is something wrong with him." He said, pointing at Draco.

"He is ill, and from the Kingdom. He is here to visit the Elders for the Sages could do nothing for him." She explained.

"He wears a hood. He stares at the ground. Does he not know that he is in the presence of royalty or is he deaf as well?"

"He is ill mentally."

Kalyth's eyes darted from Draco to Amalis. "And what is a princess doing as an escorting him to the Elders, at night of all times?"

"He arrived an hour or two ago and it is important we treat him as soon as possible. Our sorcery could do nothing for him. As a princess it is my duty to take care of my people, so I volunteered to escort him. He is calm when I speak."

The Prince was questioning her words. She could see that clearly as he slowly began his approach towards her and Draco. Kalyth was lifting his sword once more and came only so close so that the tip of the blade could reach Draco's chin to tilt his head so he could see his face. "Fear seeps from his very pores. If this is an elf of Galad, then I pity your people."

Amalis lowered her bow and bowed down to the prince. "He is ill. If you could allow us to pass, I would be very grateful."

"Your highness," the female Nyrah spoke up. "You are already late and your elder brother and Captain Vonavel will not approve."

He turned back towards Nyrah. "You're right, but I'm sure once they know the reasons why I was late. They shall understand I'm certain. Until we meet again, princess." He mocked a bow, which she returned with a slight curtsy.

Amalis waited several moments, her ears straining to be sure that the Prince and his companion were gone. The noises of the Forest returned again, the crickets, the owls, the trees. She let out a sigh of relief. "Are you alright?" She asked Draco.

"…yeah. Yeah I'm fine." He answered, but she could see his right hand shaking.

"He did not question you. You are fine, but now we must make haste. He shall tell his brother, and mine as well, that I am with a stranger visiting the Elders. If we do not hurry then my brother shall discover you and there will be nothing I can do."

"We…we…I can't…I…"

"Stop acting so pathetic. We will reach the Elders and they will help us. _Ha im Taure Iest. _It is the will of the Forest." She took his hand in hers and led him onwards.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: God this is challenging to write, but I really want to rise up to the challenge. Thanks to everyone reading this story and for reviewing so far~.**

* * *

Other than Draco jumping at the slightest noise, all was calm and quiet. To get to the Elder's home they had to go walk up the river and towards the river's source, a waterfall that came from a mountain near the edge of the open plains. The water that fell seemed to glow beneath the moon's light. As distraught as Draco was, he couldn't help but be in slight awe of its natural beauty. The only issue had was that the "Elder's home" was nowhere in sight.

"Well where is it?" He demanded to know.

Amalis took a deep breathe in before releasing. "It's there." She pointed towards the waterfall. "When we go in, please do not speak unless spoken to, understand?"

Draco wanted to protest, but nodded in agreement.

She helped him over a few of the rocks and pulled him behind the waterfall. There was nothing their but a small cave, which walls were very cool to the touch. The elven girl held a hand out and began to murmur in her tongue. The glow of her circlet faded as quickly as it came and before them a door appeared. "Are you ready?" Amalis asked him before entering.

He couldn't find his voice, and simply nodded.

The door creaked open to reveal a small home. The interior reminded him of a small cottage: the one room seemed to serve as a sitting room, dining room, and a kitchen all rolled into one. It was very…quaint.

Amalis walked in, but Draco lingered by the door. She turned her head back, a frown on her face. "Well come along then."

"You should listen to the Princess, boy. She's the one risking her life for you." An old voice said from behind him.

**Chapter Four: Discovery**

A rush of adrenaline shot through Draco's body as he jumped away from the person behind him, bumping into the wall, causing him to groan in pain. Behind him stood, an old elf wore white robes embroidered with faded gold. His hair was thinning and his back was back was slightly hunched. Upon his face was an ugly scowl, and although he stood a few inches shorter than Draco, he was still able to intimidate the young wizard with his glare alone. "What is this?" He asked Amalis.

"Shar!" She bowed before the Elder, before explaining herself. "It is a human, a wizard. I shot him down a few days ago…and the Forest told me to help him and I've been keeping him in a tree, but I…I…" Amalis looked to be on the verge of tears, a sight Draco never thought he'd see in his life. "I know…I know I shouldn't have brought him here, but I don't know what else to do!"

Shar held up his hand to silence her. "Calm now, Amalis. This behavior is not becoming of you. What you should have done was report this to your brother."

"If I had done that then this boy would have been killed! You know this Shar! The Forest **spoke **to me. He told me to help this human."

The Elder closed his eyes in deep thought. "I understand this, but to keep such a thing secret from your brother, from your home, from your people. You should know better than this Amalis."

"But the Forest…"

"The Forest is old and the Forest is wise, but even the most wise tree can't see all there is to see. This wizard is a threat to our people and must be put to death."

If Draco wasn't scared out of his wits, then he was now. If this Elder didn't kill him first, he thought he was going to die from a heart attack. "You can't!" Amalis stepped in front of Draco. "You can't do this! The Forest spoke to me. We must always take heed of the Forest!"

"The Forest gives our people advice, but now is not the time to heed it's every word, especially since a Dark Wizard has risen again into power," said Shar, while Draco flinched at the mention of Lord Voldemort. If this elf found out that he was a death eater, what would happen then?

Amalis' mouth opened slightly. "W-what do you mean?"

"We are safe here in our Forest for now, but who is to say this Wizard's influence will spread into our lands? The Centaurs to the north have read the stars and our mages have read the bones and runes. To bring a stranger, and a wizard at that, now of all times is extremely foolish."

"I-I didn't know. I…" Amalis turned towards Draco. "Is it true?" She asked. Draco couldn't bring himself to look at her. "Tell me! Is what he say is true!?" She demanded to know. He bit his lip and nodded.

She ran her fingers through her hair. "No…no…no, but the Forest spoke to me and now I've…what have I done? I should have killed him. Let him die…"

""What's done is done." Shar said sternly. "Now what to do with you…" He turned towards Draco, but before anything else could be said or done, an elderly female elf entered the room. She was very small in stature and she carried a tray of tea with shaky hands.

"Shar, my dear Shar, do you hear what you speak? The wisest tree has the strongest roots and is never weak. He may not see all there is to be seen, but he has more wisdom than either you or me." She said, setting the tray on a nearby table. "Amalis, my sweet, don't you fret. You only did what you thought was best."

"Shaylnn," Amalis said. "You don't understand! What if that…" She pointed at Draco. "What if that is really…?"

"Calm down, calm down, the future is not yet sealed. First things first, we need to get this boy healed." Shalynn went over to Draco and took him by his arm. "Fear not young man. I shall fix you up the best I can."

Amalis followed the two to the sitting room. Shalynn began removing the bandages Amalis had used to cover Draco's wound. "My, my, this wound is deep. Worry not, simply leave this to me."

"Shalynn," Amalis started, but the old elf ignored her. She coughed, before repeating herself again. "Shalynn, I have spoken to Shar and he tells me that I must hand this human over to my brother, but the Forest told me otherwise. I need your input, your advice…"

"You ask for advice while this boy is bleeding. I will give no advice before I've done some healing." Shalynn announced, removing the bandages Amalis had used to cover Draco's wound. "You boy have been shot by Amalis' arrow, yet here you are. You should be grateful that the wound will only scar."

"I think I'd be more grateful if she didn't shoot me in the first place," he muttered, but Amalis heard and shot him a glare.

"What's done is done, you can't change that. Now shut your mouth, you ungrateful brat." Shar growled. "And you Shaylnn, you know better. Helping strangers during times like this is dangerous, no matter what the Forest may say."

"The Forest is wise and this boy he has been blessed. The Forest may not be straightforward, but He knows what's for the best."

"Agh," Draco groaned.

Shalynn was doing her best to heal him, but had stopped, a thoughtful look on her face. "This wound is deep and it is old. The older the magic, the stronger it grows."

"Well what does that mean?" Draco's voice cracked. He had an idea of what she meant, but didn't like the sound of it.

"Let me have a look Shalynn." Shar went over to examine the wound. "You've become more skilled with your spells Amalis. The wound will never fully heal."

Draco shouted. "What!?"

"You'll still have use of your arm. Don't cry about it. The wound will scar over, but the scar will never disappear. It's a wound laced with Amalis' magic."

Draco was relieved his arm was usable, but a bit disturbed that Amalis' magic had 'laced' it. "Well, what did she mean about it growing stronger or whatever?"

"A connection built is a connection to hold, bonded forever by the strengths of your souls." Shalynn murmured. "Princess, you come to Shar and I for advice, but for us to do more would not be right. The Forest spoke to you and you alone. Only you can decide how this boy gets home."

Amalis could feel herself starting to tremble all over. "B-but on our way here…we bumped into two Durmor…we bumped into his highness Kalyth of Durmor."

"This boy is as good as dead then. The Durmor will not stand for this human to be near their or our lands." Shar said bluntly.

"But he doesn't know that it is human! The wizard wore a hood and…looks a bit like an elf from Galad, right?"

Shar snorted. "If you think that the Durmor, especially a **prince** of Durmor, would not notice, then you are a fool."

"Stop it." Draco muttered. "Will you two stop it? She's asking for your help and won't you just help her!?"

"Don't make me laugh human. You don't speak for her, but for your own interests. You want to go home more than she does. I can tell. I can smell your fear…this is why I can't stand humans." Shar glared, before turning to Amalis. "Take my advice Amalis, you must take this human to your brother. He is much wiser than you and will handle the situation accordingly. The Forest told you to help this boy, and you've done all you can; there is nothing left you can do." With that Shar left the room to his study.

Amalis looked now to Shalynn. "And what do you say of this Shalynn?"

"I have already said what had to be said. The two of you are connected by a red thread. What is done now is up to you, but remember this: to your heart be true." She stood to her feet. "I'm afraid there is no time for tea. You must take this boy back to his tree."

"Why? Is something wrong? Is something coming?"

Shalynn closed her eyes. "Time is not your only enemy. It is time for the two of you to leave."

"Thank you Shalynn for your advice." Amalis bowed to the Elder, before turning to Draco. "Let's hurry...and thank Shalynn for helping you!"

Draco mimicked Amalis' bow awkwardly. "Thanks for your help…"

"You boy, you have too much fear. You care for none and hold yourself dear. To survive you must be brave, this is the only way for you to be saved." She warned before disappearing to another room in the house.

Once outside again, Amalis took note of the placement of the moon. It was nearly half-way cross the sky. Had time really flown by so fast? "Shalynn was right. We need to hurry back to the tree."

"Can't you just give me my wand so I can go home!?"

She shook her head. "No…not after what Shar has told me. Tell me wizard, is what he said was true? That a dark wizard among you has risen to power?"

Draco's mouth suddenly felt dry. "I…yes…yes it's true."

"And you, where do you stand? Do you fight against him?" She asked, before laughing. "No…you wouldn't do that. You're too weak, too fearful."

"What do you know about me?" Draco asked, angry; although she was right. "You hardly know me!"

"What of it? It's obvious to anyone who comes across you. You are cowardly. You will return to the tree and I shall spend tonight and tomorrow thinking of a way to get you home. If anything, I will escort you. I will just need permission from my brother first. Understand?"

Draco went through his possible options in his mind. If he ran now, she'd probably catch up to him. Under the circumstance she didn't catch up to him, he'd bump into some sort of creature in the wilderness. For now, he'd have to stick to Amalis until he was able to get his wand back.

"Fine."

"Good, now pull the hood on your cloak up." She ordered, withdrawing her bow for protection.

He barely drew the hood up, when there were shouts. "This way! They're over here! I see them!"

Draco's eyes grew wide. "W-what do we do!?" He asked frantically.

Amalis closed her eyes, listening closely. Five, no six, people were coming their way. "We can't do anything. If you run they will catch you and I can't do anything against six people with only one bow." She put her bow back across her back. "The only thing we can do is reason with them. Do not run. Do not show fear and stay close to me." She pulled him towards her right side.

Through the trees Draco could see six figures approaching them.

"There she is, and the ill 'elf' she brought with her," said a voice Draco recognized to be the Durmor elf they bumped into earlier this evening.

The Prince elf was accompanied by the same female elf from before and four different elves he did not recognize, but one of them held an uncanny resemblance to Amalis.

Draco hadn't as much as blink when the elf resembling Amalis and came forward with his sword drawn, aimed directly at him. "Amalis, this is no elf of Galad. Who have you brought into our Forest?"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Just wanna say that I don't know anything about archery...**

* * *

"Who is it that you brought into our Forest?" The Prince asked again. "Answer me, Amalis! Speak the truth! He is no elf of Galad!"

Amalis tried remaining as calm as possible. "Listen to me Feralan, and please don't become angry…"

"It's too late for that Amalis! You have been keeping a secret from me, now answer or so help me I shall kill your companion right now where he stands."

Draco made way to run, but Amalis caught him by his hand. She held it tightly. "He is…I…a couple of nights ago, I shot him down. He…he is a human, a wizard." Amalis admitted, but hurriedly added. "But the Forest spoke to me to help him! He would do us no harm anyways! He is weak and too afraid to do anything…"

"Too weak? Too afraid?" Feralan repeated, his voice steadily escalating. "That's not the **point** Amalis!" His nose flaring as he scolded her.

"I swear to you and on our father's life! I heard the Forest speak to me. I am to…"

"You are not to do **anything**!" He made it clear that he would not back down.

"But I…"

"Silence!" Feralan ordered. Amalis flinched and kept her head down.

Another elf stepped forward. Everything about him screamed "regal" as well. Unlike Feralan, who looked as though he was kissed by the sun, this one seemed to have been kissed by the moon. He bore a resemblance to Kalyth for he was his elder brother, Laflian Norrean, the Crown Prince of Durmor. "You Galad are very rash, aren't you? Why don't we hear him out? Allow him to humor us a bit?" Laflian suggested an unsettling glint in his dark eyes.

"This is not your concern Laflian." Feralan said stiffly. "This is a matter of the Galad."

"But do not the Forest and Mountain coexist beside each other as one? You are younger than I Feralan, and still have much to learn…"

"Do not look down on me." Feralan growled.

Laflian shook his head. "I wouldn't dream on it, but I am curious to see what's so special about this human that it would spared by your precious 'Forest'."

"A duel!" Amalis spoke up. "I nominate this human to participate in a duel."

"A what!?" Draco's voice cracked. This woman will get him killed!

"And what can this human do?" Feralan scoffed. "He shall surely lose. He depends so much his magic wand. He can't fight without it."

Amalis knew her brother spoke truth, but pursued anyways. "A duel with arrows then!"

"He looks he can barely lift a twig, let alone pull back a bow," Kaltyh snickered.

"Let him prove himself! Give him a chance!"

"I second Amalis' proposal." Captain Theron now spoke. He had watched the situation unfold and decided to give the princess his support. "If he is to lose in a duel of arrows, then what happens to him will be left to Prince Feralan to decide."

"And what say you human?" Feralan asked, his brows furrowed. "Do you accept this challenge?"

Draco was at lost for words, his throat dry and parched.

**Chapter Five: Despair**

"This…this is mad! This is crazy!"Draco was nearly tearing out his hair. "You mad, mad woman! Look what you got me into!" He shouted at Amalis. The two of them were now standing in a room of weaponry. Swords, spears, bows and arrows, shields, many things were cluttered here, creating an organized mess.

Amalis was examining a bow in question and responded to Draco as calm as usual. "And what do you think would have happened if I had not made that proposal? Your fate would have been sealed. You would be good as dead or rotting away in a cell!"

"I'm going to end up that way anyways!"

Amalis sighed. "Listen, duels are a **large** part of my people's culture. You win a duel, you win respect. You win respect and you may be able to get out of this entire mess alive."

"I know. I know…" Draco began to mumble. "But I don't even know how to **hold** a bow and arrow, let alone **use **one!"

"I'll teach you. I don't know how quickly you can learn it, but I'm one of the best archers. It shouldn't be too hard to teach you what I know…" She said, returning to her search for an extra bow.

"Amalis." A stern voice came from behind them.

Amalis swallowed nervously. "Yes brother?"

"I've brought Lieutenant Evaro to keep an eye on both you and the human. Take my word for it Amalis, if the Lieutenant reports any suspicion of you planning to aid this human in escaping, then you **will **suffer the consequences, sister or not. Understand?"

She nodded. "Yes sir. I understand."

Feralan couldn't even bring himself to look at his sister and left the room without another word. Lieutenant Evaro, on the other hand, seemed very amused and more than excited to be assigned this task. The Lieutenant was a large, beefy elfman and had pale blond hair similar to Draco's.

"So **this** is the human you dragged in. My dear princess, you've outdone yourself this time!" He said with a great grin. "Let's have a look at ya boy!" He circled Draco a couple of times, and even went as far as to yank Draco's chin up to get a good look at his face. "Scrawny little thing he is. You thank the Forest Amalis didn't nominate you for a duel with swords. You'd be taken down before you could even blink!" Evaro roared with laughter.

Draco smacked, or tried to smack, the large hand away. To his great dislike, it was Amalis who had to get the Lieutenant to release him. "Stop teasing him. He's already upset enough as it is."

Evaro released him, but broke into a crooked grin. "A little drama queen we got on our hands do we? Well listen up kid, if Amalis hadn't stepped in for ya, you'd be good as dead…and I'd get the sweet pleasure of doing you in."

"I told you stop it Evaro!" Amalis said, a slight whine in her voice. "You scare him like this and he won't be able to concentrate while he practices."

Evaro only started laughing again. "Practice? You teaching him little Princess?"

"Yes. Yes I am."

The Lieutenant eyed Draco. "What's this kid's name?" He asked Amalis. She opened her mouth to answer, but realized that she didn't know it either.

Taking it as his cue to introduce himself, Draco answered. "Draco Malfoy."

Once again Evaro began to laugh, much to Draco's annoyance. "_Draco?_ Are you serious?"

"There's nothing wrong with my name!" Draco said stiffly.

"Sure there's nothing **wrong **with it, but _'Draco'_? You sound like you're Durmor-kin or somethin'!"

Amalis put a hand on her forehead. How on Earth was she to deal with these two? "Don't pay him much mind…Draco." She said, testing out his name. "Your name is a strong name. It should bring you good fortune."

"Th-thanks…" Draco mumbled, a bit surprised she said such a thing.

She said nothing in response and instead handed him a bow. "This one looks like it'll work just fine. Hold it up."

Draco awkwardly held the bow up, trying to mimic Amalis' posture from memory.

Evaro raised an eyebrow. "Not bad, not bad at all."

Draco looked to Amalis for approval. She said nothing for several moments, before asking, "How does it feel?"

"How does it feel?" Draco repeated a bit confused.

She sighed. "Do you feel too wound up and close together? Does the bow feel too heavy? It shouldn't be…that's one of the lightest kinds we have."

"It feels…fine?"

Amalis didn't like the uncertainty in Draco's answer, but took it either way. "We'll have you practice a little bit first. Then we can see if we can find a better one for you. Let's go." She motioned Draco to follow here, and Evaro brought up the rear.

As they moved through the village, many of the other inhabitants stared. Most of the mothers kept their children at bay, but some of the more rebellious ones ran up to Amalis, Draco, and Evaro. They spoke excitedly in their language, staring up at Draco in awe and a few pulling on his pants leg.

Draco watched Amalis interact with the children. Her face was very kind, nothing at all like what he'd seen in the past few days. She seemed to have urged the children to leave their small party alone once they arrived to an archery range.

Amalis turned abruptly on her heels to face Draco. "Alright, we only have one week for you to…"

"One week!?" Draco interrupted. "Can I really learn to shoot an arrow **and** beat someone in a match in just **one **week? That seems damn well impossible to me."

She was silent for a moment, before saying, "It's a miracle how you've made it this far along in life with that attitude of yours. Yes, we only have one week and no, I'm not sure if it is possible if we can teach you something that takes years to master in such a short amount of time, but we, or rather you have no choice. So I suggest you shape up your attitude or go find my brother and ask him to cut you down where you stand."

Draco was rendered speechless, and simply nodded in response.

"Good. I know this task seems impossible. You'll have to work hard day and night for long hours at a time. If you do that, then maybe you'll have a chance…a bit of luck doesn't hurt either."

Amalis now moved to stand beside Draco. "Now were going to start with teaching you how to hold the bow. We won't start shooting actual bows until tomorrow or the day after. It depends on how quickly you progress. The proper posture is very important. Without a proper posture, you won't get a good shot. Understand?"

"Yeah, got it." Draco mumbled.

"Now draw your bow like you did before."

Draco obeyed.

She shook her head. "You're very tense, too tense. Try relaxing your shoulders a bit." Draco tried, but apparently he didn't do it correctly. Amalis moved behind him and gently pressed his shoulders down. "Take a deep breath and relax your body. Focus your energy the right side of your body. That is where the arrow will get its energy to move forward."

Draco tried to ignore Amalis' close proximity as he pointed out, "But now the right side of my body is tense."

"Even it out."

"But how?"

"Imagine the energy in your body circulating in two directions. Your left arm needs to aim steady...stop shaking!"

"I can't!"

"Loosen up a bit, and focus on form. It won't matter how fast or far your arrow goes if you miss the target."

Draco loosened up as she said.

"Good. Before you were tense all over, and that wasn't necessary, a waste of energy if you will. The tensity in your body was affecting the tensity in your mind. You want your mind to be relaxed." She said, her fingers now grazing over his left forearm.

Amalis stepped back to take a good look at him. "Widen out your legs a bit more, make sure to have a firm stance….good…now hold that position until I tell you to stop. Try your best not to move a muscle and focus your eyes solely on the red target at the end of the range."

"And how long am I doing this for?"

"No talking." Amalis snapped. "Focus only on the energy in your body and the target before you…don't worry about how long you'll do this for. I'll tell you when to stop."

Much to his dismay, Draco Malfoy ended up standing there all morning.


End file.
